Top Placements for WHU in Ranking of Economists

Economists all over Germany were waiting on pins and needles for the results of this year’s ranking of the most successful research-oriented figures in the field from WirtschaftsWoche. On December 16, 2022, the list was published, revealing two members of the faculty at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in remarkably high positions. In the overall list, Professor Martin Jacob of the adidas Chair for Finance, Accounting and Taxation, came in at #14, with Professor Nadine Kammerlander, Chairholder at the Institute of Family Business and Mittelstand at #23. What is particularly exciting about these results is that both researchers are rather young in comparison to many others on the list and still have been able to develop quite the portfolio of top-tier studies.

Indeed, the results of the top economists under 40 list are sensational, with Professor Jacob, the “Under 40 Primus,” coming in #1. Professor Kammerlander is not far behind, reaching #9. In its article, WirtschaftsWoche makes explicit note of how Jacob, at only 38, has already had so many successes in the field of research and then introduces some of his works. To date, he has studied, among other topics, which tax-based solutions can lead to a reduction in CO₂ emissions (and which cannot). Given the political relevance of his research, Professor Jacob was invited to become a member of the Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry of Finance of Germany.

A total of eight WHU professors appear on this ranking, created by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute of ETH Zurich specifically for the D-A-CH Region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Their scores are as follows:

Most Successful Research-Oriented Economists between 2018 and 2022

14      Professor Martin Jacob
23      Professor Nadine Kammerlander
89      Professor Stefan Spinler

Most Successful Research-Oriented Economists under 40 between 2019 and 2022

1        Professor Martin Jacob
9        Professor Nadine Kammerlander
54      Professor Fabiola H. Gerpott

Lifetime Achievement in Business Education (perpetual table)

64      Adjunct Professor Franz Kellermanns
92      Professor Martin Jacob
96      Professor Lutz Kaufmann
150    Professor Stefan Spinler
153    Professor Arnd Huchzermeier
184    Professor Nadine Kammerlander
223    Professor Peter J. Jost

This ranking considers research-related publications released in international journals and authored by scientists active in the D-A-CH region over the past five years (2018 – 2022). Activity between 2019 – 2022 served as the basis for evaluation for the list of the most research-oriented economists under 40. WirtschaftsWoche’s larger ranking of lifetime achievements—which lists 250 of the most successful research-oriented economists—takes all publications issued in renowned, international journals into account.

Every publication released in one of the foremost journals is awarded with one full point. Publications issued in less relevant journals garner 0.025 points each.

While the method employed for this analysis may be somewhat controversial, the WirtschaftsWoche economists ranking, as is the case with other rankings, is considered by the public to be an indicator of notable achievements in research.

Those inclined can read the full article on the economists ranking on the official WirtschaftsWoche website (behind a paywall in German).

On December 9, 2022, WHU’s accomplishments in the field of research were noted in the WirtschaftsWoche Ranking of the Most Research-Oriented Business Schools—where WHU reached #6.